Single-use plastic forks, knives and plates are banned in the UK

According to news from the local press in the country; The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has approved a ban on single-use items such as plastic cutlery, knives and plates in the UK. However, the application will not cover products found in supermarkets or stores.

UK Environment Minister Therese Coffey is expected to make a statement in the coming days on when the ban will come into force.

Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, Minister Coffey confirmed they were preparing to ban the single-use plastic product, saying it can take 200 years for a plastic fork to decompose, end up in landfills or pollute the oceans.

Coffey stated that he is determined to take action to resolve the issue directly and used the following statements:

“We have already taken important steps in recent years, but we know that there is more to do and once again we have answered the calls of the people. This new ban will have a huge impact in preventing billions of pieces of plastic from polluting the environment and helping to protect the natural environment for future generations.”

“A LATE MOVE”

Megan Randles, head of UK political campaigns for the environmental organization Greenpeace, said: “While billions of items of rubbish is never a bad thing, it is action that is long overdue and is still a drop in the bucket. the ocean compared to what needs to be done to stem the tide of plastic.” found.

Randles urged the government to take more significant strategic steps to reduce plastic use.

Similar bans have already been implemented in Scotland, while single-use plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds with plastic handles were banned in the UK in 2020.

Scotland introduced bans on businesses using single-use plastic products in June 2022, while Wales passed a similar law in December 2022.

In the UK, data reveals that around 1.1 billion disposable plastic plates and 4.25 billion cutlery are used each year, of which only 10% is recycled after use. (AA)